Step 2: Planning and Preparing for Baby

It's now time to stop reading and start preparing for baby's arrival. Or if your newborn has already arrived, here is where you will start creating order. Being organized will give you more confidence and you will be less stressed.

A. Preparing for Baby: Print the Information

First have a look at everything that is available to print. Decide which pages would be important for you to have close-by and print those. Then laminate them, put them up on the wall, bind them or do whatever would work best for you.

Printable Action Plan Information Set

The printable information sheets consist of concise but useful summaries of the Action Plan care elements, and are good to have handy in a laminated and/or ring bound format. You can help yourself to be more prepared for your baby by familiarizing yourself with the content and having it close at hand for future use.

The printable checklists are also good to have handy in laminated format. Put the Complete Newborn Checklist in the nursery to keep track of what you still need if you are still expecting, or to highlight and budget for outstanding items. Stick the Newborn Baby Shopping List (for Consumables) on your refrigerator to make sure you stock up on necessities regularly.

Both the Hospital Bag Checklist and the Diaper Bag Checklist are convenient if you print and laminate them on size A5 or A6, and keep them in their appropriate bags. You will know what you put in which hospital bag, and you will be able to quickly check that your diaper bag still has all the necessary supplies.

B. Preparing for Baby: Get Your Stuff Together

During this part of preparing for your baby you need to use your checklists to start acquiring everything you still need, which may be most of the items or only a few.

Keep in mind that you may not have to buy everything. There are some items that are easy to borrow from someone, and you may even be lucky enough to be given lots of useful things by friends, colleagues and family members.

Also, the checklists are not set in stone, so think carefully about everything and customize your list to your own needs, abilities and lifestyle. Different mothers are comfortable with different levels of preparation, so don't be afraid to do what makes you feel confident.

The shopping part of Step 2 will keep you busy for as long as you have left before your baby becomes part of your life. Use this time to spend your money wisely, do some research about product choices, shop around for bargains, budget for possible future expenses and don't leave all the decisions for the last week or two.

There may be a few items that you are not quite sure whether you should (or can afford to) buy. If you have doubts about something on the "Essential" or "Recommended" checklist, it may be a good idea to start looking out for the relevant item in any case and make a note about the price and where to buy it. If you realize you should have gotten it after the birth, it will be easier for you to send someone to go buy it, or to quickly get hold of it yourself. You won't have to go through the whole shopping process with a tiny baby in your arms.

Remember to update your checklists regularly so you can keep track of your position with regards to finances and time. Doing this faithfully will help you to be more in control of your preparation process, and will hopefully allow you to meet your own requirements timely and within budget.

C. Preparing for Baby: Other Preparations

Before the arrival of your new baby there are always a long list of things to be done, and many of them are usually last-moment type of preparations.

Make sure that you are finally prepared for baby's arrival by using the Newborn Baby Preparations Checklist to remember and keep track of what still needs to be done. Click on the link below for the printable version.

Add to this checklist any other preparations that you need to take care of, according to your own situation. Remember, now is the time to delegate! Accept your willing family and friends' offers to help. This will not only save you time and precious energy, but you will also give your loved ones the privilege to be part of the preparations.

Coming Soon: Calculation aids to help you with budgeting, feeding quantities etc...

When you have worked through Step 2: Preparing for Baby it is time to move on to Step 3.